Varaporn Chamsanit, secretary-general of the Sexualities Studies Association and representative of the Coalition Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Thailand, said the figures show that 15,000 people a year in the country on average seek hospital treatment for injuries caused by domestic violence, reports the Bangkok Post.
Figures from the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation say 1,086 cases were reported by the media in 2023.
Of them, 75% were assaults and murders perpetrated by one spouse against the other.
As for media reports about domestic violence involving unmarried couples, 49% of the cases in 2023 pertained to assault or murder committed by one partner using a firearm against the other.
Ms Varaporn said legal measures are not effective enough to protect and support victims.
She said that despite the severity of the issue, the anti-domestic violence law contains significant loopholes that hinder the protection of victims.
These include relatively lenient penalties for domestic violence perpetrators, an overemphasis on reconciliation that does not favour victims as well as aspects of the law opened to various interpretation, allowing perpetrators to evade prosecution.
Ms Varaporn added the law lacks clear coordination mechanisms among state agencies and fails to ensure adequate resources for victims.
While the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has drafted amendments to the Victims of Domestic Violence Protection Act to expand victim protections, the coalition believes the measures still have shortcomings which must be addressed, Ms Varaporn said.
The group calls on the government to revise the act to remove legal loopholes and enhance its effectiveness in addressing cases of domestic violence in the country.